The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved a $1.4 billion investment plan that accelerates progress on the state’s electric vehicle (EV) charging and hydrogen refueling goals.
This funding will help deploy charging and refueling stations for light, medium, and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) across California — expanding what’s currently the country’s most extensive charging network.
The investment plan outlines how the CEC’s Clean Transportation Program will allocate $1.4 billion in state funding over the next four years, with at least 50% of the funding designated to benefit lower-income and disadvantaged communities.
This effort is part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s California Climate Commitment, which includes over $10 billion for ZEVs and related infrastructure, complemented by additional federal funding from the Biden-Harris Administration. Building ZEV infrastructure aligns with Governor Newsom’s broader “build more, faster” agenda, which prioritizes infrastructure upgrades statewide. (Communities can track local projects at build.ca.gov.)
These efforts also reflect California’s building code updates requiring EV charging infrastructure in all new residential units by 2026. As part of this initiative, the California Building Standards Commission and the CEC have incorporated EV-ready standards into the California Building Standards Code to meet the state’s ambitious transportation electrification goals. The regulations mandate that each new residential unit with parking in a multi-family development must include at least one “EV Ready” parking spot.
Additionally, reports such as the CEC’s Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Assessment (AB 2127) provide a roadmap for scaling EV charging infrastructure to support the rapid adoption of zero-emission vehicles. AB 2127 requires the California Energy Commission to biennially assess the EV charging infrastructure needed to meet the state’s goals of putting at least five million zero-emission vehicles on California roads by 2030 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.
According to the CEC, $2.3 billion has already been invested in projects supporting ZEV infrastructure, alternative fuels, and advanced vehicle technologies, providing the following benefits:
- Community benefits: 63% of funding awarded in disadvantaged or low-income communities.
- Chargers installed: Nearly 34,700 EV chargers installed or planned.
- Hydrogen stations: 96 public hydrogen fueling stations installed or planned.
- Car charging incentives: Creation of the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project to provide streamlined incentives for EV chargers.
- Truck and bus incentives: $100 million to 120 projects awarded for truck and bus charging and refueling through the Energy Infrastructure Incentives for Zero-Emission Commercial Vehicles Project.
- Zero-emission school buses: 2,300 clean school buses funded, with1,100 ZEV school buses on the road.
- Manufacturing: 40 ZEV and ZEV-relatedmanufacturing projects that support in-state economic growth.
- Job training: Workforce training for more than 32,000 trainees and trainers, helping prepare workers for the clean transportation economy.
This comprehensive approach underscores California’s commitment to a cleaner, more sustainable future and its leadership in advancing zero-emission transportation technologies.
Filed Under: Charging, Technology News